I’ve been keeping tabs on a lot of interesting efforts to create community, both in real life and online. I think that creating community is key to behavior change, and behavior change, as I have said before, is key to just about everything.
One thing which has interested me is the Kimkins scandal. Kimkins is a very low-calorie diet plan promulgated primarily through a website, Kimkins.com. When looked at objectively, the Kimkins plan is completely nuts. It’s low calorie enough to wreck your metabolism, and makes no nutritional sense. The people doing the diet, though, are committed to the community of which they are part.
It has turned out that the woman who created the diet has no nutritional background, and did not in fact lose all the weight she claimed to have lost. There are pro-Kimkins sites to be found, such as this one, and a plethora of anti–Kimkins websites. On both sides, what everyone is most intense about is the Kimkins community. Was it betrayed? Is it in denial and needs to be saved?
The community in question is a web-forum, but it has created a passion, and an impact on human behavior that is more than many geographical places could. Wouldn’t it be amazing to harness community power like that to create positive change?
yes it would be amazing to harness all that for the good of mankind instead of for profit of Kimkins.com being run by a scammer like Kimmer
It is unfortunate that the remaining community still doing Kimkins has been entranced by a scamming obese wanna be diet guru. It is SAD to see people being used by Heidi Diaz and manipulated into thinking that she is the victim when her entire identity is based on a lie.
The real community miracle in this whole mess has been the anti-kimkins bloggers and the FREE low carb community website members who have all grouped together to save others from this nightmare.
Interesting commentary about the community aspect. It adds a whole new dimension to the situation, that’s for sure. Please remove the Kimkins link, though – do you really want to direct people there? Your link will boost her search rankings. Maybe link to the recent episode about Kimkins on Good Morning America instead!
Be sure to check out what ConsumerAffairs.com has to say about Kimkins:
Kimkins Diet Rolls On Despite Founder’s Excess Poundage
There are plenty of FREE Diet Support Forums around where you can find a real sense of community, where they aren’t encouraging you to develop an eatings disorder or scamming you. Please try one of those.
Say NO to Kimkins!
I’m leaving that last comment up s an example of how intense Kimkins makes people, and how hard they are hit by a sense of betrayal when they realize what a scam it is.
Do you think “say no to kimkins” read my post at all?